Development of hair-washing robot equipped with scrubbing fingers

Abstract

We have developed the world's first hair-washing robot equipped with scrubbing fingers. This robot assists in washing hair in hospitals or care facilities, and it eases the burden of healthcare professionals and care workers while it brings a higher quality of life to patients and others in need of nursing care. It features the mechanical and control technologies needed for touching someone gently on the head. These include, for instance, the self-aligning mechanism and the cylindrical rack mechanism of the robot's end effector, the parallel link mechanism of its pressing arm, and the compliance control for providing an appropriate sense of pressure.